Spireites fan meeting resolves to investigate relaunch of CFSS

Graham Smyth

Around 35 Town fans gathered in the Victoria Club on Saturday and resolved to revive or relaunch Chesterfield Football Supporters Society.

The supporters meeting was called by lifelong Spireite Andy Millington, who was joined on stage by Peter Whiteley, an existing board member of the currently dormant CFSS.

Fans discussed the club’s current financial situation and what their response should be as a collective.

Whiteley was asked to give information on what would need to happen to rejuvenate the CFSS, which already has a representative on the club board in community director John Croot.

CFSS founding board member Phil Tooley also spoke about the possibility of business people forming a consortium to launch a bid for the club, but highlighted the £10m asking price as a stumbling block.

All the fans in attendance were in agreement that an EGM should be called to debate a relaunch.

Millington told the Derbyshire Times: “The aim was to get everyone together, people are obviously concerned and lone voices are not going to be heard.

“If we can get a group together, generate interest, a collective group will be heard a lot more than people worrying on their own.

“The meeting resolved to develop a new trust or the existing trust, the CFSS. There will be an EGM and the fans can come and have their say.”

In March 2001 a small group of Chesterfield fans met to discuss the idea of forming a Supporters’ Trust and a month later confirmed the constitution of the newly formed CFSS.

Over 1,000 supporters attended the 2001 launch and just 39 days after the initial March meeting, CFSS secured the the Spireites’ future by taking control of the club.

In recent years however membership has dwindled, leading the CFSS to become a dormant entity, albeit one enjoying an existing official recognition by the club.

You can watch a video of Saturday’s fan meeting on the Derbyshire Times Spireites Facebook page HERE